I salute you double bass players!

They don't bite, just growl!

 

Never say never! Sounds to me like you've already been bitten by the bass...I mean bug.

 

Yeah... now he just needs to pull the trigger.

DO IT! DO IT NOW!!!!

 

It goes both ways. Recently I've grown to admire some of the great electric players and the more BG I play, the better my jazz DB playing becomes as well. Mostly it's a rhythmic thing... electric bass is really teaching me to play more relaxed and loose.

You should pick up DB if your circumstances ever allow it. It's very rewarding and will have a great impact on your BG playing as well.

 

It had an impact on mine - I don't play BG anymore.

 

It's interesting. I started as an electric player with no intention of playing DB. In college I learned DB and was quickly completely converted. My EB sat in the case, except for teaching privately, for almost 5 years. In an effort to work as much as possible I started doing some blues and r&b stuff. I still do about 95% DB and wouldn't have it any other way, but I think the in depth study of other styles has really helped my overall musicianship. Take the plunge.

 

It is Huge, but for most of us it is a way of compensating for a lack of mass in other areas...

 

Speak for yourself, DZ

 

If this holiday season is anything like the others...a question of 'mass' will not be necessary. All you have to do is open your belt three notches, and stand a little farther away from the bass.

gomez

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"please pass the mashed potatoes"

 

Recently an old friend of mine came to visit and look at some of my Double Basses. As I was playing one of my English Basses he Commented, "Gee Ken, you used to get a lot closer to the Bass" and giggled.

I looked down and smiled back at him and said, "yea, but this is a sign of success"!

 

If that's a sign of success, then I must be Donald Trump because I've put on 15 lbs in the last 4 months.

For the first 9 months, I hardly ever touched my electrics except on gigs. But now I'm gradually getting back into playing electric for practice. I still enjoy playing both for different reasons. I think about how much fun it would be to only play DB, but in reality, I don't think I could ever turn my back on electric to play only DB.

I must say that I got one of the best compliments ever on my DB playing last week. I played DB for a set in this band that I had never played DB in before. The keyboard player, who I consider a musical genius, told me that he couldn't believe that I'd only been playing for 9 months with no lessons. He said, "I gotta tell you Jim, your intonation is better than guys I've worked with that have been playing for years!" That meant more to me than any compliment I've ever gotten from another musician. Of course, then the drummer had to add, "But you have to work on your timing because you drag a little during the fastest parts."

Drummers...bah!

 

Yeah...as if they would know anything about tempo.
gomez
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How do you know when there's a drummer at the front door?...he doesn't know when to come in.